What to Look for When Buying a Television

Whether you’re looking for a huge flat-screen TV for the living room or a smaller one for the bedroom, Best Buy has a television for you. We’ve got energy-saving LED TVs, Smart TVs for streaming online content, 4K TVs for ultra-high definition viewing and next-gen OLED TVs for spectacular picture quality. Here are some general considerations when looking for a TV that’ll suit your lifestyle and entertainment needs.

Picture Quality

Screen resolution contributes to the level of detail that appears on the screen, along with brightness, contrast and colour. The two resolution numbers measure picture elements left to right of the screen and top to bottom, respectively. Full HD, for example, displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or a 1080p top-to-bottom resolution. Ultra-high definition (UHD) displays 3840 x 2160 pixels, more commonly known as 4K.

Screen Size

In this case, the bigger the screen size the better for your viewing pleasure, budget and space permitting. A wider and taller TV screen allows you to appreciate the finer details in HD content. If you’re sitting eight to 10 feet away from the screen, a 46- to 50-inch set will do wonders. For more intimate viewing in your bedroom, kitchen or office nook, opt for screens between 26 and 32 inches.

LED and Plasma TVs

It’s tough not to judge a TV by its outward appearance, considering it’ll be a centerpiece in your home. The technologies they use affect the pictures they produce. LED TVs are the most common, as almost every television company makes them. Read on for the difference between these TV types.

FAQ

1. What’s the difference between LED and Plasma TV?

LED TVs use a backlighting system of light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs, which consume less energy and last longer. As a result, LED TVs deliver crystal-clear picture whether you’re watching a movie with the lights off or catching the morning news in a sun-soaked living room.

A 600Hz frame rate allows every plasma TV model to process fast-action shots, while high-contrast ratios enable finer detail to be seen in dark scenes. Since they don’t require backlights, plasma TVs offer consistent image quality from different viewing angles, ensuring everyone gets the best seat in the house.

2. What is an OLED TV?

An OLED TV delivers incredible contrast, razor-sharp clarity and wide viewing angles for spectacular images that’ll blow you away. Each of its pixels is a small organic light-emitting diode, eliminating the need for backlighting, and allowing for a super-slim and energy-efficient design.

3. What is 4K Ultra HD?

Defined as having a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 4K TV offers spectacular picture quality, delivering more pixels than HDTV or high-end 1080p LED screens, more realistic colour and higher frame rates. A 4K UHD TV can upscale non-4K content by filling in the missing pixels, so your favourite shows, movies and games will look better than ever.

4. Should I get a Smart TV or media streamer?

A Smart TV’s main appeal is its built-in WiFi, expanding your viewing experience so you can stream media from online services, and access apps and social media sites. If you just want smart TV services, add smart functionality to your existing TV with a media player such as Roku or Apple TV.

5. Should I get a projector for my home theatre?

For a larger-than-life cinematic experience from the comfort of your own couch, a home theatre projector will do the trick. Imagine a screen that could fill your entire field of view for truly immersive viewing. You can also save space mounting the projector on the ceiling and the screen on the wall.